About Us
Our Philosophy
At SPANISH FOR FUN! we utilize a combination of Spanish immersion curriculum, international curriculum and the early education creative curriculum of North Carolina. This has been developed around a play-based philosophy as well as paying close attention to each child’s social emotional state by exposing them to all 5 love languages (based off of the research done by Dr. Gary Chapman). A play-based philosophy means we believe that children naturally engage in and enjoy play as a way of learning on their own terms and at their own pace.
OUR MISSION
Providing a high-quality Spanish Immersion education and facilitating the integral development of children in a safe and clean environment with authentic loving care.
Our Leadership
Gabriela Lowry
President/ Founder
Gaby has dedicated her life to early education. In her native country of Peru, she grew up in a bilingual environment. She realized from a young age how language allows people to break down barriers. While still in Peru, she earned her master’s degree in early childhood education and gained experience running a daycare program. Once she was married and moved to the United States, she further realized the need for a Spanish immersion program for early learners. In 2000, she opened the original location for SPANISH FOR FUN! She continues to be intimately involved in creating curriculum, setting up processes, working with the teachers, and ensuring SPANISH FOR FUN! students receive a quality educational experience.
Gaby is a recent graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business program and the ICIC Small Business School.
Meet our Corporate Team
Rob Lowry
Vice President/ Founder
Rob has always had an entrepreneur’s spirit. For over 20 years, he has created, built, and run businesses. Whether it was in the auto industry, the real estate or the mortgage industry, he has learned the ins and outs of business the old- fashioned way, by getting down to work. At SPANISH FOR FUN!, Rob has worn almost every hat possible: from initial concept, to creating the strategy, defining the vision, creating the marketing, working with financing, and even building and painting the schools by hand. Through his foresight, tenacity and business acumen, he has helped grow SFF! from a single program to a growing enterprise, serving hundreds of families.
Karina Martinez
CEO
Karina Martinez is the CEO of SPANISH FOR FUN! and a mother of a SFF! graduate. She has 13 years of management and leadership experience in Early Childhood Education. Karina joined the SPANISH FOR FUN! team in 2011 as an Assistant Teacher, and she has truly enjoyed the growth opportunities that have brought her to her current position. She has been involved in Operations, Accounting, Education, Human Resources, and Marketing department’s committing to providing high-quality early education.
Karina holds a B.A. in Information and Computer Engineering from the Armed Forces Polytechnic University in Ecuador, her native country. And coming from a family of educators, it is not surprising that she has always had a passion for childhood education.
Lucelia Rodriguez
Executive Director
Lucelia Rodríguez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Her studies were in the Pedagogical College, in her native city of Camaguey, Cuba. She has obtained the Administration Certification in Early Childhood, Level III, the highest level, following the steps of both of her parents who taught for more than 30 years.
Lucy, as we affectionately call her, started as a lead teacher in our school and has grown to her current position as a Director. Lucy enjoys spending time with her family and her friends and she also loves to dance.
Lixeida Pillot
Commercial & Marketing Manager
Lixeida Pillot is natively from Puerto Rico. She has two bachelor’s degrees, one in elementary education and another in early childhood education. Currently, she is going to school to earn a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Digital Marketing. She has worked at SFF! since 2016. She started working as a preschool teacher then as an Assistant Director at the Cary location and is now the Marketing Manager of SFF!.
She’s happy to be a part of this beautiful group that has become family to her. Lixeida loves to contribute to early education since she believes that children are the future and a reflection of what they learn daily. She has two beautiful daughters Victoria and Leandra who are her greatest inspiration and she also has a wonderful husband who takes her hand in every new stage of life and every new adventure.
Valeria Hernandez
Human Resources Manager
Valeria Hernandez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Bilingual Education, she started in SFF! in 2014 and used to be the Director at our Glenwood and Duraleigh locations. She holds a Level III Administration Certification in Early Childhood and has the North Carolina Early Educators Certification Level 11 for Early Childhood and School Age.
She got her Diploma in Human Resources Management in 2022, she is getting her SHRM certification this 2023 and she is passionate about ensuring we provide the best place to work at SFF!, she likes motivating staff to pursue their professional goals within the company. She loves traveling with her husband and her two beautiful daughters and loves singing.
Julieth Perez
Project Manager
Julieth Perez has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a postgraduate in Organizational Psychology. I have been awarded Scrum Master and Google Project Management certificates with expertise in Project Managers like Quality Management Systems (QMS) and knowledgeable Human Talent professionals.
I have 2 daughters, Paula and Isabella of whom I’m proud and my husband who is my friend, my love, and my best company!
As a Colombian, I enjoy dancing and listening to Salsa and Merengue, meeting friends, traveling around the world, and sharing with my family.
Our Teachers
Passionate, Professional
and Nurturing.
As teachers, we provide a safe and nurturing environment, guide your children with developmentally appropriate activities and create opportunities for them to explore and learn through play. It is our goal to provide a supportive atmosphere that will encourage every child to develop physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. We cultivate excellent relationships with parents through involvement and communication. Our curriculum is taught entirely in Spanish, so your child will learn Spanish in a fun, natural way. Children exposed to the entire Spanish culture are inspired to explore a world beyond their own.
Schedule a Tour!
Call (919) 937-2050 or fill out the form and we will contact you!
Want to know if SFF! is the right fit for your family? We understand that choosing the right childcare program for your family can feel overwhelming. We encourage you to take a tour of your desired location so that you can check out the facilities, meet the staff and learn more about our unique curriculum.
We are looking forward to meeting you!